Sgt. Raymond John Van der Veen

#16047907

Raymond John Van der Veen was born on February 3, 1921 in Melrose, Jackson County, Wisconsin to Neil and Erna (Mohring) Van der Veen. He was baptized on April 2, 1921 at the St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sparta, Monroe County.

On the 1930 US Census for Sparta, Monroe County, Raymond was 9 years old and living in a rented house with his parents and siblings. Neil Vanderveen was 37, born in the Netherlands in 1893 and immigrated 1911 and was a naturalized citizen. He was the head of the household and was married. Neil was a laborer and the industry was “Street.” His mother tongue was Dutch. Wife Erna (35) was born in Wisconsin in 1895 to parents both born in Germany. Other siblings included Clifford (8), Marion (6), and Doris Jane was a baby.

On the 1940 census for Sparta, Monroe County, Wisconsin, Raymond (19) is living with his parents and sibling. He had an 9th grade education and was working as a farmhand. His father “Niel” was working as a laborer with the WPA. Wife of Erna, daughter “Maryon,” Doris, and Harriet is 4 are living together in a rented home.

Raymond J. Vander Veen enlisted in service for World War II on January 6, 1942 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was single, living in Monroe County, Wisconsin, had a grammar school education, and was working as a farm hand. His initial rank was Private.

An undated and unsourced newspaper clipping in the family records, with photos of Raymond and his bother Clifford reads “Corp. Tech., Raymond Vanderveen, Sparta, Wis. Now at Duncan Field, San Antonio.”

In the Thursday, Nov. 22, 1945 La Crosse Tribune is an article titled “Several Sparta Men Back After Receiving Recent Discharges” (p16). The article states:

“Sgt. Raymond J. Vanderveen of Delafield, a former Spartan, was discharged at Camp McCoy Nov. 16. Serving overseas from April 23, 1943 until Nov. 7, 1945. Vanderveen was a truck driver through the battles of Southern Philippines and Luzon. He earned the driver’s badge. He was attached to the 2483rd quartermaster truck company of the air depot group.”

On Dec. 3, 1945, Raymond John Vander Veen married Doris Rachel Potter, at Pittsburg, Texas.

From the Waukesha Daily Freeman, 6 Dec 1946, Friday, p5 the newspaper states, “The following births were registered at Waukesha Memorial hospital:”

“On Thursday, Dec. 5, sons were born to…Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Vander Veen, Delafield…and …”

Raymond, his wife, and son lived in Delafield, Wisconsin for some time. On July 11, 1993, Doris Vanderveen died in West Plains, Missouri. They had been living in Myrtle, Missouri. She is buried in the Delafield, Wisconsin city cemetery.

In 1995, Raymond married a second wife, named Marilyn.

An Obituary for Raymond was posted on FindAGrave:

“Raymond J. Vanderveen, the son of the late Neil and Erna (Moehring) Vanderveen, was born Feb. 3, 1921 in Melrose, WI, and died Oct. 9, 2007, at the Shady Oaks Healthcare Center in Thayer, MO, at the age of 86.

Survivors include his wife, Marilyn of the home; one son, one sister, one step-son, one step-daughter, a niece, and numerous other relatives and friends (Note: potential living relatives names have been edited out.)

Funeral services were held Oct. 11 at the Clary Funeral Home Chapel in Mammoth Spring, AR. Burial followed in the Thayer Cemetery with arrangements under the direction of the Clary Funeral Home of Mammoth Spring, AR.

(SOUTH MISSOURIAN NEWS, 17/Oct/2007)

From the Social Security Death Index, it states that Raymond’s last residence was in Thayer, Oregon County, Missouri.

Raymond is buried in the Thayer Cemetery in Thayer, Oregon County, Missouri.

Thank you, Sergeant Raymond John Vanderveen, for your service to this country. We honor you and remember you.

Note: Historian Krista Finstad Hanson is Raymond’s first cousin, two times removed.

Sources:

Birth Record

Monroe County Vital Records

1930 US Census

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X9S7-XQP?treeref=LRBT-BY2

1940 US Census

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K7VX-CHC?treeref=LRBT-BY2

World War II enlistment record

https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=8939&h=2016224&tid=&pid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=LXU359&_phstart=successSource

Thursday, Nov. 22, 1945 p16 La Crosse Tribune, “Several Sparta Men Back After Receiving Recent Discharges” (p16).

Waukesha Daily Freeman, 6 Dec 1946, Friday, p5 (birth notice)

US Social Security Death Index

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JGVD-462?treeref=LRBT-BY2

FindAGrave

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/25905172

Veen Raymond J Vander